Fall in gas price for Ukraine should not lead to reckless use

KIEV, December 25. /ITAR-TASS/. The fall in Russia’s gas price for Ukraine should not lead to its reckless use, Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov said on Wednesday.

“There is no euphoria that the fall in gas price will give the green light to use it recklessly. On the contrary, control and responsibility for effective modernization should be toughened,” the premier said.

In 2014 the gas price can be gradually fallen for industrial consumers. “There are objective grounds for reducing the upper level for imported natural gas for budget industrial consumers and for economic facilities in 2014,” Azarov said.

The upper level for natural gas for institutions and organisations, which are financed from the state and local budgets, is expected to be reduced by one third from New Year, the premier said.

The price of gas reserves in storage facilities is 400 dollars per 1,000 cubic metres. “The state controls the whole discount to be used by consumers and not by monopolies,” he said.

“Independent regulators of the markets of electricity and energy, local bodies of self-government and state inspections should urgently start the work to re-count tariffs on gas and heating energy. Consumers should pay according to new tariffs in January,” Azarov said, adding that gas tariffs for the population would be stable.